I wish there was a big secret to this…but there isn’t. There is no large meat factory that you can purchase half off meat items. There aren’t a zillion coupons out there for $3 off a lb or $1 off 2 lbs…etc..
As you are learning to save money and begin to see the impact that your coupons do for your personal hygiene (i.e. 20 tubes of toothpaste, 20 things of deodorant…) you will probably begin to want more..I know after about six months into tackling the drugstores I found myself hoping that CVS and Rite Aid would start selling produce or meat! 
Sadly, I doubt this will happen too soon and I will still have leftover ECB’s and UP rewards that I will have to roll into the next hot tampon deal…
All kidding aside–over the years I have discovered great ways to save money on meat. My lovely husband is a food artist by heart and has taught me several things when it comes to stocking up on proteins:
::: Check out the clearance meat section! They have a section devoted to clearance meats and some great stuff! If the meat is set to expire the next day, throw it in the freezer. It can last for at least a month!
::: Buy Bulk. Costco is one of my favorite places to buy meat. I will purchase meat there if i don’t find any good deals for that week. I always separate the meat into groups of 3′s or 2′s and put into freezer bags.
::: Build a stockpile. Why can’t you stockpile meat? There are price points that I follow on meat. If I can find Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts at a killer price–I buy at least 2 months worth for my family and just calculate this into my weekly budget. I focus on one protein item a week (if there are good deals) instead of trying to find a variety of meat for the week. This way I will have a selection to choose from and then if there aren’t any good meat deals for that week–I don’t need to purchase any at a ridiculous price!
Here are some of the price points that I use when looking to stock up:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts $1.57-$1.97 lb
- Boneless Skinless Chicken thighs .99 lb
- Whole Chicken $0.77
- Top Round London Broil $1.97
- 80% lean ground beef $1.47
- Boneless pork loin $1.99 lb
- Ground Turkey $2.50 lb
For Vegetarians there are a few options for high in protein items that you can substitute in place of meat:
- Tofu is one obvious choice
- Soy
- nuts
- eggs
- Legumes
- Whole grain items
I’d love to hear how you save on meat!
My Name is Josie and I live in sunny Southern California and I am a stay at home mom to three beautiful boys. We all know that living in California is a task of it's own and saving in California IS possible! I started this blog mainly to share all the awesome deals out there and show others how to save in any area of life. Even though you may make the commitment to be frugal and pinch your pennies doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice!
Ther is a Von’s near my house that almost always has 75% off on over-stocked meats!! I go in there sometimes just to check out the meat clearance!! I’ve gotten whole chickens for $.42/lb, ground turkey for $1.25/ pack, ground sirloin patties for $1.75/lb and my favorite, Farmer John Bacon regular $6 less 75%, plus I had a personalized price of $3.59 so it took off the difference. Von’s PAID ME approximately $1.60 for each package of bacon. I got 30 and shared with friends.
I’ve been buying the pre seasoned boneless skinless chicken at albertsons. Its seems to always be bogo free. I get 2 packs for about $3.50. I also do the close to expired ground beef. Remember not to take off the clearance sticker the cashier needs to or they won’t accept it.
For higher quality, I like Zaycon foods. Once I buy, I portion it and then put it in my deep freeze. I think we’ve only eaten about 1/4 of the chicken from their sale a few months ago! I also stockpile things like ground turkey and pork chops when they go on sale. Vons sometimes has great sales on ground turkey. If you shop during the day, they sometimes announce specials on meat!
I’m all about the markdown meat plus the $5/25 coupons from Fresh and Easy, especially right after a big grilling holiday like the forth of July. I buy grill packs and break them apart and freeze them.
Every Wednesday I hit up my local Stater Bros. they clearance their meats and poultry on this day where I will find 2 lbs of ground beef for $ 1.97, and chicken thighs for $ 1.25 (tray with 4 chicken thighs). I have also found whole chickens for .44 a lb I freeze it and this is what works for me.
One thing I have found very helpful is at farmers markets ask around for meat shops I usualy go to LA’s meat market places and its way cheaper than any other stores in riverside
my boyfriend loves clearing out ralph’s clearance meats. our store usually has expensive steaks marked way down. same with fresh&easy. i freeze a lot!
as for vegetarians (i am one) i would recommend freezing tofu (out of the package, not in the water) and really hitting up the bulk food bins. buying small bags of protein isn’t very cost effective.
I always buy when on sale like you and if you live in the oc the markets arounds here like Superior, El Super, Jons have excellent prices on chicken breast I can regularly find it for less than $1.60 a lb
Oh and Stater Bros (usually only the larger stores) have and excellent deal on ground turkey it is $6.99 for a 3 lb package so that is only $2.33 a pound and that is their everyday price!
Smart & Final’s clearance, aka “maganger’s special”.
***Here’s a trick I’ve done : I use those Farmer John breakfast sausages for spaghetti, the orignal favor. Since it is in raw form, I crumble them up and season them to taste; onion, Italian seasoning, etc. I’ve done this with Hamburger helper too. We always get coupons for them and can get them for free or cheap. No one can tell. For other meat, I pretty much check Albertsons towards the end of the day; they mark down their meat especially the ground beef. I also like to go to the Hispanic markets. They also have good prices and meat is descent. In my household we only eat white meat chicken. I prefer boneless skinless chicken breast. But, will buy bone in as it is cheaper. Also, I will buy whole chickens too.
Do you want to save on meat – go vegan!
I always look for clearance meats everytime I visit a store, even if I’m just stopping in to pick a couple items. I’ve had some luck and have been able to find some marked down items at great prices! When does everyone have the most luck finding clearanced items? Just wondering if I would find more first thing in the mornings or if I should be waiting until the evening time?
I know clearanced items are typically the best way to save on meat. When I find them I buy whatever I can and freeze it! I always repackage my meat items before freezing so I’m only freezing what we will use per meal, especially since my family isn’t a big fan on leftovers. I like to buy the boneless chicken breasts and cut them down into strips–easier cooking and better portioning especially when there are big cuts in a package.
I drive by my local VONS at least 3 times a week to see what they have on clearance. I’ve learned that not only do I look in the clearance section but also the regular shelves sometimes have clearance items. I also always load the meat related Just 4 U coupons on to my card just in case they have that item on clearance. I recently saw some of the 4oz packages of turkey lunch meat 75% off. I figured they’d be $.50 each however I had something loaded on my Just 4 U card and got all 16 packages free.
I’ve tried looking for clearance meat at Albertsons but haven’t found any ever. I also buy clearance meat at Ralphs when I see it. I’ve gotten some great deals there too (although none of it has ever been free!)
fresh and easy usually marks the meats down a second time around 5/6 pm. Watch for great deals on hams and turkeys a few days after the holidays.
Thanks for putting these stock-up prices up. I’m a vegetarian, but I’ve been reluctantly cooking meat for my dad since my mother’s stroke. He’s very picky about his meat and won’t eat ground anything, which I’ve found to be less expensive. Does anyone know some good recipes?
I have recently gone in with some friends and purchased a whole cow! grass fed from start to finish, organic. I am getting 1/4 of it and it comes to $5 a pound, for all cuts (steaks, roasts, etc..) i also get soup bones to use and make broth with… I find this to be a great deal since i can never find this meat in the stores and if i do find all grass fed, its like $10 a pound for ground beef! I therefore have not been eating red meat. I only support sustainable farms now.. i want the animal to be as nature intended.
There are 2 of us in my family, i go 2-3 days a week where i only make vegan or vegatarian meals so this 75 pounds of meat will last us 1 whole year.. that is awesome in my opinion! lol I am working on finding a sustainable farm i can buy whole chickens from but for now, i buy them at costco and make broth/stock with the carcass and several meals out of the meat itself.
I have also started making own pizza dough and pizzas, costs me about $2 to make a huge pizza with premium ingredients.. that is cheaper than a frozen one and SOOO GOOD!
I would love to know who you’ve bought your cow share from, this is something I’ve been looking into (grass fed and fairly local.) I’d even buy a chest freezer if I could start buying halfs and maybe even wholes at a good price!